Pellet furnace heating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A pellet furnace heating apparatus for burning a solid fuel, which pellet furnace heating apparatus in one embodiment includes an enclosure which houses a furnace. A furnace air blower is provided in air communication with the furnace for blowing the burning fuel and increasing heat in the furnace. A hopper is provided for containing the solid fuel, and a fuel delivery mechanism connects the hopper and the furnace for delivering the solid fuel to the furnace. In another embodiment, the pellet furnace heating apparatus includes a burner having a pilot housing and a combustion housing. A fuel delivery mechanism connects a hopper containing the solid fuel with the combustion housing of the burner for delivering the solid fuel to the burner. A furnace air blower is provided in air communication with the pilot housing of the burner for blowing the burning fuel and increasing the heat in the burner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 60/259,249, filed Jan. 3, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a heating apparatus operated bycombustible pellets and more particularly, to a pellet lace heatingapparatus which utilizes combustible pelletized fuel such as woodpellets, corn and the like, as fuel. In one embodiment, the pelletfurnace heating apparatus includes an enclosure and a furnace providedin the enclosure. A furnace air blower is adapted for blowing theburning fuel and increasing heat in the furnace. A hopper contain thesolid fuel is connected to the furnace by means of a fuel deliverymechanism, which delivers the solid fuel from the hopper to the furnace.In another embodiment, the pellet furnace heating apparatus includes aburner having a combustion housing provided on a pilot housing, and afuel delivery mechanism delivers solid fuel contained in a hopper to thecombustion housing of the burner. A furnace air blower increases theheat of the burner by blowing air on the burning fuel.

[0004] Conventional fireplaces burn cords of wood to generate heat. Inmild southern winters, a house of approzimately 2600 square feet in sizeuses about two cords of wood (the dimensions of a cord of wood are4′×4′×8′), which will maintain a comfortable room temperature ofapproximately 72 degrees Fahrenheit at an annual cost of about $480.00.In contrast, the pellet furnace heating apparatus of this invention iscapable of burning a smaller quantity of wood (about 2000 lbs.) in theform of wood pellets to maintain the same size house at a comparabletemperature. The quantity of fuel costs between the two systemsrepresents about {fraction (2/3)} in savings if a wood pellet system isused. Accordingly, the pellet furnace heating apparatus of thisinvention will utilize approximately a ton of wood pellets, which costs$165.00 per ton (a {fraction (2/3)} savings over regular wood), during atypical southern winter, and maintain an average room temperature of 72degrees Fahrenheit.

[0005] The efficiency of the pellet furnace heating apparatus is due toa higher heat yield between a regular and a modified fireplace. Aconventional fireplace maintains an approximate temperature of between400 degrees to 500 degrees Fahrenheit in the firebox, and about 200 to300 degrees Fahrenheit leaves the firebox through a 10″ flue pipe. Thus,conventional fireplaces retain about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or about{fraction (1/3)} of the heat produced, to heat a house. In contrast, thepellet furnace heating apparatus of this invention is capable ofretaining about 500 degrees Fahrenheit to heat the house since theapparatus generates about 700 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit in the fireboxand about 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit leaves the firebox through thesystem's 4″ exhaust pipe. The reason behind the higher efficiency in themodified fireplace is multifold. One is the fact that regular wood hasmore impurities, such as water, which reduces the quantity of heatproduced, than wood pellets. Another reason is the design of the fireboxin the apparatus, which allows for a more efficient way to burn the woodpellets. In addition, the apparatus of this invention is a better heatexchanger than conventional fireplaces.

[0006] The pellet furnace heating apparatus of this invention has manyenvironmental advantages over conventional fireplaces. The apparatus ofthe invention emits little, if any, smoke due to the small quantity ofwater and impurities in the pellets. The apparatus of this invention ischaracterized by an automatic feeding system which can operateunattended for up to 24 hours or longer. In contrast, conventionalfireplaces require more frequent attention or the fire will burn out andheat will thus be lost from the room or rooms heated by the fire.Furthermore, the apparatus of the invention generates few ashes andthus, reduces the amount of time and effort in cleaning the firebox ofthe apparatus after use. Conventional fireplaces generate approximatelyfive gallons of ashes after burning wood for twelve hours, in contrastwith the apparatus of this invention, which produces about a cup ofashes which can be cleaned up using a household vacuum cleaner.

[0007] The corn-burning embodiment of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus is capable of generating approximately 1200 degrees to 1400degrees Fahrenheit and emits no visible smoke, carbon monoxide or ashes.If six pounds of corn are used per hour, the system is capable ofgenerating about 48,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per hour. A bushelof corn, at a cost of $2.50, will generate approximately 456,000 BTUs.The expense of operating a pellet furnace heating apparatus of theinvention, using corn, is much more economical than a system whichutilizes fossil fuels.

[0008] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0009] Various types of fireplaces, stoves and combinations thereof areknown in the art. Typical of the fireplace stove design is U.S. Pat. No.4,074,679, dated Feb. 21, 1978, to John F. Jensen. The fireplace stovedetailed in that patent includes an outer cabinet fitted with acombustion enclosure or chamber and a grate forming a clearance space,with an ash receptacle mounted in the lower end of the combustionenclosure for burning a combustible fuel. An air end is provided in thecabinet for emitting air to be heated into the clearance space and anair outlet in the cabinet discharges heated air from the clearance to asurrounding space. U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,612, dated Jan. 29, 1980, toClifton F. Briner et al, details a “Heat Circulating Fireplace”. Thefireplace includes a heat exchanger which transfers heat from thecombustion gases of the fuel to an air flow circulated through the unit.Inlet and outlet air ducts are provided on each side of the heatexchanger module to conduct air to be heated into and away from the heatexchanger. U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,315, dated Sep. 28, 1982, to Thomas A.Babbage, includes a solid fuel boiler having a facia for radiant heat topass into a living room, while the flue hopper and ash pan areaccessible from another room or from outside the structure. U.S. Pat.No. 4,603,683 dated Aug. 5, 1986, to Richard D. Craver, includes afireplace insert which has a back wall and outwardly diverging lateralwalls to provide an access opening for fuel. The insert is constructedof sheet metal and has a face plate to form a closure over the accessopening. Blowers move air through the insert to exchange heat betweenthe burning fuel and the air stream. U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,682, dated May14, 1991, to Payson, details a “pellet Stove Mantel” with integralhopper, which mantel stores pelletized fuel in a continuous-feed hopper.The fuel may be dispensed from the mantel feed storage area into aconventional pellet-type furnace according to a selected flow rate. U.S.Pat. No. 5,331,943, dated Jul. 26, 1994, to W. H. Ko, details a “WoodPellet Stove” which includes an enclosure, a burner, a heat exchanger, awaste gas exhaust system, a feed system, a cleaning apparatus and acontrol system The burner includes a seat, a container, a bottomportion, a top member, two first pillars, two second pillars and aninlet pipe. The cleaning device includes three scraper members and eachof the scraper members includes a scrape plate pipe rod and a hoopelement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,855, dated Oct. 28, 1997, to W. H. Ko,details an “Indoor Fireplace” having a base, a feeding device, acombustion chamber and a ventilation apparatus. The base includes asliding plate provided with a feed pipe provided in communication withthe combustion chamber. The ventilation apparatus includes an airdrawing apparatus, an air discharging apparatus and multiple aircirculation ducts.

[0010] It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improvedpellet furnace heating apparatus in various configurations for a varietyof heating applications.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a pellet furnaceheating apparatus which is capable of heating homes, offices and otherstructures.

[0012] Still another object of this invention is to provide a pelletfurnace heating apparatus which is characterized by an enclosure; afurnace provided in the enclosure; a furnace air blower provided in aircommunication with the furnace; a hopper for containing the solid fuel;and a fuel delivery mechanism connecting the hopper and the furnace fordelivering the solid fuel to the furnace.

[0013] A still further object of the invention is to provide a pelletfurnace heating apparatus including a hopper for containing the solidfuel; a burner having a pilot housing and a combustion housing providedon the pilot housing; a fuel delivery mechanism connecting the hopperand the combustion housing of the burner for delivering the solid fuelto the burner; and a furnace air blower provided in air communicationwith the pilot housing of the burner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] These and other objects of the invention are provided in a pelletfurnace heating apparatus for burning a solid fuel, which pellet furnaceheating apparatus in one embodiment includes an enclosure which houses afurnace. A furnace air blower is provided in air communication with thefurnace for blowing the burning fuel and increasing heat in the furnace.A hopper is provided for containing the solid fuel, and a fuel deliverymechanism connects the hopper and the furnace for delivering the solidfuel to the furnace. In another embodiment, the pellet furnace heatingapparatus includes a burner having a pilot housing and a combustionhousing. A fuel delivery mechanism connects a hopper containing thesolid fuel with the combustion housing of the burner for delivering thesolid fuel to the burner. A furnace air blower is provided in aircommunication with the pilot housing of the burner for blowing theburning fuel and increasing the heat in the burner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The invention will be better understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

[0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical fireplace with thepellet furnace heating apparatus of this invention built therein anddesigned to direct heat from the fireplace;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus and fireplace illustrated in FIG. 1, more particularlyillustrating ductwork connected to the pellet furnace heating apparatusfor distribution of heated air throughout a structure;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a perspective, exploded view of one embodiment of thepellet furnace heating apparatus of this invention, more particularlyillustrating the apparatus enclosure, the furnace box, burner chamber,burner plate, feed augers, air purge, heat exchanger, blowercompartments and typical grilles;

[0019]FIG. 3A is a perspective view, partially in section, of a typicalair purge system for preventing heat transmission to the feed drop tubeelements of the feed augers during operation of the pellet furnaceheating apparatus;

[0020]FIG. 3B is a sectional view, taken along line 3B-3B of the airpurge system illustrated in FIG. 3A;

[0021]FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partially in section, moreparticularly illustrating typical essential elements of the pelletfurnace heating apparatus and more particularly illustrating hopperstorage areas for the pellet fuel and the location of the feed augers inthe enclosure;

[0022]FIG. 4A is a perspective view, partially in section, of a typicalheat exchanger for mounting on the flue pipe of the pellet furnaceheating apparatus and minimizing heat loss through the flue pipe;

[0023]FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, more particularly illustratingthe opposite side of the enclosure and a second hopper storage of pelletfuel along with a single hot air circulation blower provided in thecabinet;

[0024]FIG. 6 is a top sectional view of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, more particularly illustratinghot air circulation blower discharge lines extending from the hot aircirculation blowers, and other details of the apparatus;

[0025]FIG. 7 is a rear sectional view of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, more particularly illustrating asystem of baffles for baffling air distributed through the enclosurefrom the hot air circulation blowers into the enclosure and/or ductworkprovided in a structure;

[0026]FIG. 8 is a side sectional view, taken along section lines 8-8 inFIG. 7, of a typical furnace of the pellet furnace heating apparatus ofthis invention, more particularly illustrating baffles;

[0027]FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus furnace illustrated in FIG. 8, further illustrating theenclosed burner chamber and insulation, with the baffles removed forbrevity;

[0028]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a typical burner chamber of theportable pellet furnace heating apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 and9, more particularly illustrating a typical furnace air blower systemfor furnishing combustion air to the burner chamber of the apparatus;

[0029]FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of the pelletfurnace heating apparatus burner chamber illustrated in FIG. 10;

[0030]FIG. 12 is a top sectional view taken along section lines 12-12 inFIG. 11, of a typical shaped burner plate of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-7, more particularly illustrating anillustrative spacial orientation of combustion openings;

[0031]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portable pellet furnace heatingapparatus of this invention;

[0032]FIG. 14 is a side view of the portable pellet furnace heatingapparatus illustrated in FIG. 13, more particularly illustrating a feedauger and blower system for automatically feeding pelletized fuel andair, respectively, into the burner chamber;

[0033]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the pelletace heating apparatus;

[0034]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a burner component of the pelletfurnace heating apparatus illustrated in FIG. 15;

[0035]FIG. 17 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the burnerillustrated in FIG. 16, more particularly illustrating interiorcomponents of the burner;

[0036]FIG. 18 is an inverted, perspective view of a combustion housingelement of the burner illustrated in FIG. 16;

[0037]FIG. 19 is an exploded, perspective view of the burner;

[0038]FIG. 20 is a perspective view, partially in section, of analternative embodiment of the pellet furnace heating apparatusillustrated in FIG. 15, more particularly illustrating a steam generatormounted in the apparatus;

[0039]FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the steam generator illustratedin FIG. 20, removed from the apparatus for clarity;

[0040]FIG. 22 is a transverse sectional view, taken along section lines22-22 in FIG. 21, of the steam generator;

[0041]FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a typical outdoor cooker, with apellet furnace heating apparatus (not illustrated) of this inventionconnected to the cooker;

[0042]FIG. 24 is a front view of an air vent component on the smokingchamber of the cooker illustrated in FIG. 23;

[0043]FIG. 25 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along sectionlines 25-25 in FIG. 23, of the cooker;

[0044]FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a pellet furnace heatingapparatus of this invention, connected to the cooker of FIG. 23 forheating the cooker;

[0045]FIG. 27 is a sectional view, taken along section lines 27-27 inFIG. 26, of the pellet furnace heating apparatus and cooker illustratedin FIG. 26;

[0046]FIG. 28 is a side perspective view of a portable embodiment of thepellet furnace heating apparatus;

[0047]FIG. 29 is a sectional view, taken along section lines 29-29 inFIG. 28, of the pellet furnace heating apparatus;

[0048]FIG. 30 is a front perspective view of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus illustrated in FIG. 28;

[0049]FIG. 31 is an exploded, front perspective view of the pellet Ounceheating apparatus of FIG. 28, more particularly illustrating mounting ofan air vent housing at a selected height on the apparatus; and

[0050]FIG. 32 is a front perspective view, partially in section, of thepellet furnace heating apparatus, with the air vent housing mounted inthe uppermost position on the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, in oneembodiment of the invention, the pellet furnace heating apparatus isgenerally illustrated by reference numeral 1 and can be included in afireplace 30, illustrated in phantom in FIG. 1 and typically constructedof bricks 31. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the pellet furnace heatingapparatus 1 includes an enclosure 2 having a pair of pellet storagehoppers 3 at opposite ends thereof Each pellet storage hopper 3 istypically provided with a pellet access panel 4 for loading pellet fuel6 (FIG. 1) into the pellet storage hopper 3. A blower compartment 8 isprovided beneath each pellet storage hopper 3 in the enclosure 2. Afurnace 12 of the pellet furnace heating apparatus 1 includes a furnacebox 13, which is contained in the enclosure 2 and fitted with insulation14, and a burner chamber 15 is seated in the center of the furnace box13. Air is introduced into the burner chamber 15 through a furnace airsupply line 18 that connects by means of a fitting 18 a to a burner airplenum 16 a, provided in the burner chamber 15, and a valve 18 b servesto regulate the flow of air through the furnace air supply line 18. Apair of feed augers 19, each having an auger feed tube 20 which anglesupwardly from the corresponding pellet storage hopper 3 and a feed droptube 23 which extends dowwardly from each auger feed tube 20, aremounted on the enclosure 2 for the purpose of feeding pellet fuel 6(FIG. 1) from the pellet storage hoppers 3, into a fire 11 in the burnerchamber 15 as illustrated in FIG. 1 and as further hereinafterdescribed. Air is circulated around the furnace 12 as hereinafterdescribed and is heated by the fire 11 in the burner chamber 15. In oneembodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 1, some of the heatedair is blown from the enclosure 2 through a pair of hot air ducts 43,then through respective side grilles 34 into an enclosure or room whichaccommodates the fireplace 30. In another embodiment of the inventionillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, some of the heated air is blown from theenclosure through a pair of vertical hot air pipes 42 and a pair ofrespective extended hot air ducts 43 a, for purposes hereinafterdescribed. In both embodiments, the remaining air circulating around thefurnace 12 may be blown from the enclosure 2 through a grille opening 32a and a furnace box grille 32. The products of combustion of the pelletfuel are expelled through a flue pipe 35 which extends from the burnerchamber 15 and through a chimney 46 (FIG. 2). A pair of blowercompartment grilles 33 are designed to close each blower compartment 8.The pellet access panels 4 are provided in the fireplace 30 forreplenishing the supply of pellet fuel 6 in the enclosure 2 behind thebricks 31, also as further hereinafter described.

[0052] Referring again to FIG. 2 of the drawings, in one embodiment ofthe invention, the pair of extended hot air ducts 43 a joined to therespective hot air pipes 42 of the pellet furnace heating apparatus 1facilitate a flow of heated air throughout a structure 45 anddistribution of the heated air into the various rooms of the structure45 through air registers 44. In the pellet furnace heating apparatus 1illustrated in FIG. 2, hot air may also be ejected through the furnacebox grille 32 for the purpose of directly heating the room in which thefireplace 30 is located.

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 3-7 and 12 of the drawings, each of the blowercompartments 8 provided in the enclosure 2 on each side of the furnace12 houses a furnace air blower 9 that supplies air to the burner chamber15 through the furnace air supply line 18. A pair of hot air circulationblowers 10 are provided in opposite ones of the blower compartments 8for circulating air through corresponding hot air blower discharge lines10 a, around the furnace box 13 and through either the furnace boxgrille 32, seated in the furnace box opening 13 a (FIG. 3), and the sidegrilles 34 as illustrated in FIG. 1, or through the furnace box grille32 and a pair of extended hot air ducts 43 a, as heretofore describedwith respect to FIG. 2. Accordingly, it will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that the hot air pipes 42 are optional and arenormally only provided in the pellet furnace heating apparatus 1 asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 for the purpose of connecting the pelletfurnace heating apparatus 1 to the extended hot air ducts 43 a in astructure 45. Otherwise, the hot air pipes 42 can be eliminated from thepellet furnace heating apparatus I and the pellet furnace heatingapparatus 1 operates as illustrated in FIG. 1 with direct heat andwithout connection to the extended hot air ducts 43 a.

[0054] A shaped burner plate 16 is mounted in the burner chamber 15,typically by welding and the burner plate 16 is provided with multipleair openings 17 of selected size, number and spacing, as furtherillustrated in FIG. 12. In one embodiment of the invention, air openings17 are provided in the burner plate 16 and the air openings 17 arearranged in a staggered configuration, as further illustrated in FIG. 12and as further hereinafter described. Accordingly, air which isintroduced into the burner chamber 15 beneath the burner plate 16through the furnace air supply line 18 to the burner air plenum 16 a byoperating the furnace air blower 9, supports the combustion of pelletfuel 6 which is dispensed onto the burner plate 16 from the feed droptube elbows 24 of the feed drop tube 23 elements of the feed augers 19.As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pellet fuel 6 is stored in the pairof pellet storage hoppers 3 on a fuel support 7 in the interior ofopposite ends of the enclosure 2, and the pair of auger feed tubes 20 ofcorresponding feed augers 19 extend through the enclosure 2 into thepellet storage hoppers 3, and terminate at an auger motor 22. An auger21 is provided in each of the auger feed tubes 20, and the tops of theauger feed tubes 20 terminate in a tube end plate 20 a, attached to theauger feed tube 20, by means of end plate bolts 20 b for servicing orreplacing the auger 21. The pair of feed drop tubes 23 of the respectivefeed augers 19 are attached to the upper ends of the respective augerfeed tubes 20 and extend downwardly through the enclosure 2 to theburner chamber 15, as heretofore described. Accordingly, operation ofthe auger motors 22 causes each of the augers 21 in the respective augerfeed tubes 20 to turn and to lift the pellet fuel 6 that contact therespective augers 21 through a feed tube access opening 20 c in eachauger feed tube 20, upwardly, for spilling over into the respective feeddrop tubes 23. The pellet fuel 6 then drops by gravity through each feeddrop tube 23 and through an air purge 25, which may be provided on eachof the feed drop tubes 23, into the burner chamber 15 and onto theburner plate 16, through the feed drop elbows 24. It will be appreciatedby those skilled in the art that the rate of feed of pellet fuel 6 tothe burner chamber 15 and burner plate 16 can be controlled by the rateof rotation of each of the augers 21 in the feed augers 19. Accordingly,the auger motors 22 are designed to operate at various speeds andappropriate wiring (not illustrated) known to those skilled in the artmay be connected to the auger motors 22 for this purpose.

[0055] As further illustrated in FIGS. 3, 3a and 3 b, the air purge 25is characterized by a purge pipe 26 that inserts concentrically overeach feed drop tube 23 on each of the feed augers 19 and the insidediameter of the purge pipe 26 is larger than the outside diameter of thefeed drop tube 23, to create an annulus 28 which is blocked at both endsby an annulus seal 29 (FIG. 3B). A purge air feed line 27 terminates atone end in the purge pipe 26 as further illustrated in FIG. 3B and theopposite end of the purge air feed line 27 is connected to the furnaceair supply line 18 which is, in turn, connected to the discharge of thefurnace air blower 9, as heretofore descried. Accordingly, referringagain to FIG. 3B, the pellet fuel 6 flows by gravity downwardly throughthe drop tube bore 23 a of the feed drop tube 23 to prevent a flow ofheat that would normally travel upwardly from the furnace 12 through thefeed drop tubes 23. The heat is impeded in this upward flow by thereverse flow of air from the purged air feed line 27, through theannulus 28 and the purge opening 28 a in the feed drop tube 23, betweenthe annulus seals 29.

[0056] Referring again to FIGS. 3-7 of the drawings, the pellet fuel 6is introduced for storage into the pellet storage hoppers 3, located inopposite sides of the enclosure 2 and closed by a hopper top 3 a,typically by means of pellet access panels 4, typically attached to thefront portion of the enclosure 2 by means of pellet access panel hinges5.

[0057] Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 4 a of the drawings, in anotherembodiment of the invention a flue pipe heat exchanger 36 is mounted inthe flue pipe 35 and as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the hot gases from theburner chamber 15 and furnace 12 circulate on the shell side of the fluepipe heat exchanger 36, while air is introduced into the tube side ofthe flue pipe heat exchanger 36 by means of an inlet air line 40,attached to one of two end plates 37 that close the ends of the fluepipe heat exchanger 36. Tubes 38 may be provided longitudinally in theflue pipe heat exchanger 36 and receive the air from the inlet air line40, and heat is exchanged between the upward-flowing hot combustiongases in the flue pipe 35 and the air in 39 flowing inside the tubes 38.The heated air out 39 b exits the flue pipe heat exchanger 36 throughthe opposite end plate 37 and may directed into a structure or into ahot air duct 43, as illustrated in phantom.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 6, 8 and 9 of the drawings, the furnace 12 andburner chamber 15 of the pellet furnace heating apparatus of thisinvention are more particularly illustrated, with side air baffles 49and rear air baffles 50 provided in the furnace 12, for the circulationof air to be heated by combustion of pellet fuel (not illustrated) inthe burner chamber 15. The feed drop tube elements 23 of a feed auger 19(not illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9) are further illustrated for supplyingpellet fuel from a source to the burner chamber 15. As described above,the flue pipe 35 is designed to receive combustion gases from the pelletfuel burned in the burner chamber 15, which gases exit the burnerchamber 15 at about 800° F. through burner chamber vents 15 a,illustrated in FIG. 9, circulate through an air circulation opening 12 abetween the insulation 14 and the inside surface of the enclosure 2. Asfurther illustrated in FIG. 8, the side air baffles 49 and rear airbaffles 50 are designed to project from the furnace 12 in variousconfigurations in order to facilitate a flow of air around and over thebaffles and effect optimum heat transfer between the hot furnace 12 andthe air, as heretofore described with respect to FIGS. 1-7 of thedrawings. The temperature of the pellet fuel 6 consumed in the burnerchamber 15 is elevated by introduction of air into the burner chamber 15through the furnace air supply line 18 and the fittings 18 a, asheretofore described with respect to the pellet furnace heatingapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-7. The heat output of the furnace 12 iscontrolled by the rate of flow of pellet fuel 6 through the feed droptubes 23 into the burner chamber 15 and by the flow rate of air throughthe furnace air supply line 18, into the burner chamber 15.

[0059] Referring now to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings, the burnerchamber 15 is detailed, with a pair of the feed drops tubes 23 providedwith feed drop tube elbows 24, for directing pellet fuel 6 (illustratedin FIG. 11) onto the perforated burner plate 16. The burner plate 16 maybe provided with a burner plate bend 16 b that defines an upper burnerplate 16 c and a smaller lower burner plate 16 d. It has been found byexperimentation that the upper burner plate 16 c should be larger thanthe lower burner plate 16 d. However, the upper burner plate 16 c can bethe same size as or smaller than the lower burner plate 16 d.Furthermore, the upper burner plate 16 c typically contains 124 openings17, staggered as indicated in FIG. 12, while the lower burner plate 16 dtypically contains 63 openings 17, also staggered as illustrated in FIG.12. However, it is understood that any desired number of openings 17 canbe provided in the upper burner plate 16 c and the lower burner plate 16d depending upon the desired heating characteristics of the burner plate16. As described with respect to the pellet furnace heating apparatus 1illustrated in FIGS. 1-9, a furnace air blower 9 serves to supply air tothe burner chamber 15 through the furnace air supply line 18 andfittings 18 a attached to the burner air plenum 16 a.

[0060] Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 14 of the drawings, a portablepellet furnace heating apparatus 51 is illustrated and has a venthousing 58 mounted on an enclosure 2 and multiple hot air vents 57provided on the vent housing 58. The enclosure 2 is further providedwith a hinged or fixed pellet access panel 4 for loading pellet fuel(not illustrated) into the enclosure 2, and a feed auger 19 (illustratedin phantom in FIG. 14) is provided in the enclosure 2 and extendsupwardly into the vent housing 58 for transferring the stored pelletfuel from the enclosure 2, through the feed drop tube 23 and into theburner chamber 15 at a controlled rate, as heretofore described. Theflue pipe 35 extends from the burner chamber 15 in order to release thehot combustion gases from the burner chamber 15. A furnace air blower 9is also illustrated in phantom and is connected to the burner chamber 15(illustrated in phantom in FIG. 14), by means of a furnace air supplyline 18, also illustrated in phantom, for supplying air to the burnerchamber 15 and increasing the heat of combustion of the pellet fuel, asheretofore described. A door 54 is hinged the enclosure 2 by means ofdoor hinges 55 and includes a door handle 56 for accessing the burnerplate 16 in the burner chamber 15. A door recess 54 a may be provided inthe enclosure 2 to recess the door 54 at least partially into theenclosure 2 and further seal the burner chamber 15 during operation ofthe portable pellet furnace heating apparatus 51. Portability of theportable pellet furnace heating apparatus 51 is provided by means ofrollers 53, mounted on roller brackets 53 a as farther illustrated inFIGS. 13 and 14.

[0061] Referring next to FIGS. 15-19 of the drawings, in anotherembodiment of the invention the pellet furnace heating apparatus isgenerally illustrated by reference numeral 101 and is particularlysuitable for burning corn kernels (not illustrated). In one embodiment,the pellet furnace heating apparatus 101 includes a base 107, on whichis mounted a housing 106 provided with an upper, pellet storage hopper102, having a fuel support 7, and a lower, blower compartment 105 whichcontains a burner air blower 115. The interior of the pellet storagehopper 102 is typically accessed by raising a hopper lid 103 on thepellet storage hopper 102, to facilitate placing corn kernels (notillustrated) or other pellet fuel into the pellet storage hopper 102.Alternatively, the pellet storage hopper 102 may be fined with a pelletaccess panel 4 (FIG. 13) to achieve the purpose. An upward-standingburner housing 108 having an upper housing opening 108 a is provided onthe base 107, and the burner base 122 of a burner 121 rests on the base107 inside a burner opening 109 of the burner housing 108. Asillustrated in FIGS. 16-19, the burner base 122 of the burner 121typically supports a pilot housing 123 having a pilot housing interior124 (FIG. 17). A pilot valve 125 inside the pilot housing interior 124is connected to a burner fuel source (not illustrated) through a fuelline 127 which extends from the pilot housing interior 124 of the pilothousing 123, A combustion housing 130, having a combustion housinginterior 132 the bottom of which is typically fitted with a dish-shapedor concave combustion dish 131, is mounted on the pilot housing 123 andprovided with multiple flame openings 131 a arranged in a selectedpattern and spacing. As illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 19, in oneembodiment the combustion dish 131 is fitted with a flare plate 128disposed directly above the bottom of the combustion dish 131, forpurposes hereinafter described. In another embodiment (not illustrated)of the pellet furnace heating apparatus 101, the base 107 is omitted andthe housing 106, the burner base 122 of the burner 121, and the burnerhousing 108 are supported on the ground or other supporting surface (notillustrated).

[0062] As further illustrated in FIG. 15, the burner air blower 115 inthe blower compartment 105 of the housing 106 is connected to the pilothousing interior 124 of the burner 121 by means of a burner air supplyline 116, through a fitting 118 and a fitting nipple 119 extending fromthe pilot housing 123. The burner air supply line 116 is typicallyfitted with an air flow control valve 117 for controlling the flow rateof air through the burner air supply line 116 as hereinafter described.As illustrated in FIG. 17, a flame guard 129 is typically provided onthe pilot valve 125 to shield a flame 120, issuing from the pilot valve125, from air flowing into the pilot housing interior 124 through thefitting nipple 119 of the burner air supply line 116. An auger feed tube20 of a feed auger 19 angles upwardly from inside the pellet storagehopper 102 and is fitted with a feed drop tube 23, typically having anair purge 25 fitted with a purge air feed line 27, for delivering bygravity the corn kernels or other feed (not illustrated) from the augerfeed tube 20 into the combustion dish 131 of the combustion housing 130at a controlled rate, as heretofore described. One or multiple pelletdeflector plates 133 nay be provided in the combustion housing interior132 to ensure deposit of the pellet fuel into the middle of thecombustion dish 131 from the feed drop tube 113.

[0063] In typical operation of the pellet furnace heating apparatus 101,the corn kernels or other pellet fuel is delivered at a controlled ratethrough the auger feed tube 20 of the feed auger 19 and onto thecombustion dish 131 of the burner 121 through the feed drop tube 23, andthe flare plate 128 typically spreads the flame 120 generated by thepilot valve 125 outwardly to the flame openings 131 a in the combustiondish 131. As the corn kernels or pellet fuel burns in the combustionhousing interior 132, air flowing from the burner air blower 115 andinto the pilot housing interior 124 through the burner air supply line116 increases the heat of combustion of the pellet fuel in thecombustion housing interior 132, as heretofore described. The heatgenerated by the burning corn kernels or pellet fuel in the combustiondish 131 escapes from the combustion housing interior 132 and burnerhousing 108 through the housing opening 108 a of the burner housing 108.Referring again to FIG. 19 of the drawings, while the combustion housing130 may be removably mounted on the pilot housing 123 by engagingcombustion housing threads 130 a with pilot housing threads 123 a, it isunderstood that the combustion housing 130 may be removably or fixedlymounted on the pilot housing 123 by any suitable techniques known tothose skilled in the art.

[0064] Referring next to FIGS. 20-22 of the drawings, in anotherembodiment of the pellet furnace heating apparatus generally illustratedby reference numeral 134, the pellet furnace heating apparatus 101heretofore described with respect to FIGS. 15-19 is fitted with a fluepipe steam generator 135 for generating steam, as hereinafter described.Accordingly, the burner housing 108 of the pellet furnace heatingapparatus 134 is provided with a top plate 143 for supporting an upper,steam housing 138 of the flue pipe steam generator 135. As illustratedin FIGS. 21 and 22, t multiple, peripheral steam tubes 137 and a centralsteam tube 142 connect the steam housing 138 of the flue pipe steamgenerator 135 to a lower, water reservoir 136 which, as illustrated inFIG. 20, is disposed just above the combustion housing 130 of the burner121. A water conduit 139, typically fitted with one or multiple waterflow control valves 140, is connected to a water source (notillustrated) and extends from fluid communication with the steam housing138. A steam conduit 141 further extends from the steam housing 138 forconveying steam from the steam housing 138 to a steam turbine (notillustrated) or other destination for use of the steam in operation ofthe pellet furnace heating apparatus 134 as hereinafter described.Accordingly, in typical operation the water reservoir 136 of the fluepipe steam generator 135 is initially filled with water through thewater conduit 139, by opening the water flow control valve or valves140. This facilitates flow of water from the water conduit 139, throughthe steam housing 138, steam tubes 137 and central steam tube 142 andinto the water reservoir 136. Upon subsequent operation of the burner121, the water contained in the water reservoir 136 is heated to a boil,and steam rises upwardly from the water reservoir 136, through the steamtubes 137 and central steam tube 142 and steam housing 138, and throughthe steam conduit 141 to a steam turbine (not illustrated) or otherdestination for use of the steam The water reservoir 136 is filled withan additional supply of water, as needed, by operation of the water flowcontrol valves 140 on the water conduit 139, as heretofore described.

[0065] In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, a cooker 75is illustrated in FIGS. 23-27 of the drawings and a pellet furnaceheating apparatus 101 heretofore described with respect to FIGS. 15-19delivers cooking heat to the cooker 75. The cooker 75 includes atypically cynical outer drum 76 and a cylindrical inner drum 77,provided inside the outer drum 76 to create a drum annulus 78 ofselected size. A pair of annulus vents 79 are mounted on the outer drum76 to facilitate removal of combustion gases from the drum annulus 78,as hereinafter described. The inner drum 77 defines a cooking chamber 80which is fitted with a cooking chamber vent 81. In one embodiment,multiple rotisserie racks 82 are mounted on a motor shaft 73 whichextends between a pair of rotatable rotisserie wheels 82 a at oppositeends of the cooking chamber 80, and the motor shaft 73 is engaged by arotisserie motor 72 which is mounted on one end of the cooker 75, asfurther illustrated in FIG. 25, and rotates the motor shaft 73 and therotisserie racks 82 in the cooking chamber 80. In another embodiment(not illustrated), one or multiple food support racks (not illustrated)are mounted in the cooking chamber 80 in conventional fashion. A cookerframe 83 supports the outer drum 76 and the inner drum 77, as well as asmoking chamber 88, as further illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 25. Thecooker frame 83 includes grip arms 84 projecting from one end thereof,and a cooker door 85 is fitted to the outer drum 76 and covers anopening that extends through the inner drum 77 and accesses the cookingchamber 80 as it mounts on a cooker door hinge 87, as illustrated inFIG. 23. A cooker door handle 86 facilitates opening and closing of thecooker door 85 on the cooker door hinge 87.

[0066] The smoking chamber 88 is fitted with a smoking chamber door 89,hinged to the smoking chamber 88 by means of a smoking chamber doorhinge 89 a and fitted with a smoking chamber door handle 90, foraccessing the interior of the smoking chamber 88. An air vent 91 isprovided in one end of the smoking chamber 88 to allow a selected flowof air to enter the smoking chamber 88. The air vent 91 (FIG. 24)includes air vent openings 92 and corresponding rotating air ventshutters 93 attached to a shutter pin 94 and pivotally mounted on apivot bolt 100, to facilitate opening and closing the air vent openings92 by manipulating the shutter pin 94 and rotating the air vent shutters93 on the pivot bolt 100 to align with or clear the air vent openings 92and provide more or less smoking action inside the smoking chamber 88.An accessory platform 95 may also be provided on the cooker frame 83,and the cooker 75 may be made portable by the addition of wheels 96mounted to a wheel axle 97. A smoking chamber vent 98 communicatesbetween the interior of the smoking chamber 88 and the cooking chamber80 of the inner drum 77, to facilitate a flow of smoke from burning fuelsuch as mesquite wood, hickory or the like, in the smoking chamber 88,through the smoking chamber vent 98 into the cooking chamber 80 to smokethe food 99 resting on the rotisserie rack or racks 82. This smoke exitsthe cooking chamber 80 through the cooking chamber vent 81.

[0067] The cooker 75 is connected to the burner housing 108 of thepellet furnace heating apparatus 101 by means of a hot air conduit 165,one end of which is typically connected to a top plate 169 on the upperend of the burner housing 108 and the other end of which communicateswith the drum annulus 78 at the bottom of the cooker 75, as illustratedin FIG. 27. In one embodiment of the invention, a horizontal supportingsegment 165 a is provided in the hot air conduit 165, and a hot plate166, adapted for supporting a pan 168 or other cooking vessel, asfurther illustrated in FIG. 27, is welded or otherwise fixedly orremovably mounted on the upper surface of the supporting segment 165 a,and an upward-standing flange 167 may be provided along the perimeter ofthe hot plate 166. In another embodiment of the invention, the hot plate166 and flange 167 are omitted, and a hot air conduit 165 of any desiredconfiguration connects the burner housing 108 of the pellet furnaceheating apparatus 101 to the cooker 75. In application, the corn kernelsor pellet fuel (not illustrated), delivered to the combustion housing130 of the burner 121 from the pellet storage compartment 104 of thepellet storage hopper 102 through the auger feed tube 20 and feed droptube 23 of the feed auger 19, are burned in the burner 121, generating afire 11 which creates heat of sufficient intensity to cook the food 99inside the cooker 75 as the hot combusion gases flow from the burnerhousing 108, through the hot air conduit 165 and into the drum annulus78 of the cooker 75. Smoke, heat and other products of combustion flowfrom the drum annulus 78 and through the annulus vents 79 of the cooker75. Simultaneously, heat from the supporting segment 165 a of the hotair conduit 165 is conducted by the hot plate 166, which heats the pan168 and contents thereof The rotisserie racks 82, supporting the food 99inside the cooking chamber 80 of the cooker 75, can be rotated aroundthe rotisserie shaft 73 inside the cooking chamber 80 by operation ofthe rotisserie motor 72, as desired.

[0068] Referring next to FIGS. 28-32 of the drawings, in still anotherembodiment the pellet furnace heating apparatus of this invention isgenerally illustrated by reference numeral 145 and includes a housing106 which contains a pellet storage hopper 102, typically fitted with ahopper lid 103 or alternatively, a pellet access panel 4 (FIG. 13), anda bottom blower compartment 105 which contains a burner air blower 115,as heretofore described with respect to the pellet furnace heatingapparatus 101 in FIGS. 15-19. The housing 106 is mounted along with anenclosure 148 on a base 146 typically provided with a pair ofspaced-apart forklift openings 146 a, the purpose of which will behereinafter described. As illustrated in FIG. 29, the enclosure 148houses a burner chamber 149 and a blower chamber 160, separated by apartition 152 having a partition opening 152 a which establishescommunication between the burner chamber 149 and the blower chamber 160.An air flow opening 150, selectively closed by a hinged door 151, isprovided in a rear enclosure panel 153 of the burner chamber 149 of thepellet furnace heating apparatus 145. A burner 121, such as thatheretofore described with respect to FIGS. 15-19, rests on the base 146inside the burner chamber 149. Multiple closure panels 154 and a venthousing support panel 157 are mounted on the enclosure 148 typically bymeans of multiple bolts 158 threaded into respective bolt openings 159in the enclosure 148, which closure panels 154 in combination with avent housing support panel 157 close the blower chamber 160 of theenclosure 148. An air vent housing 155, having a selected configurationand typically fitted with multiple air vents 156, is mounted along withone or multiple air distribution blowers 147 on the vent housing supportpanel 157, which vent housing support panel 157 and air vent housing 155can be removably mounted at selected heights on the enclosure 148 forpurposes hereinafter described. In operation of the pellet furnaceheating apparatus 145, as illustrated in FIG. 29, combustion of cornkernels or pellet fuel (not illustrated) in the burner 121 causes hotcombustion gases to rise upwardly from the burner 121 into the burnerchamber 149, such that air drawn into the burner chamber 149 through theair flow opening 150 thereof is heated and flows through the partitionopening 152 a in the partition 152, as indicated by the arrows. Theheated air is then drawn into the air distribution blower or blowers 147on the vent housing support panel 157, and the air distribution bloweror blowers 147 blow the air through the air vents 156 of the airdistribution blower or blowers 147. It will be appreciated from aconsideration of FIG. 31 that the vent housing support panel 157 and anyone of the closure panels 154 can be removed and interchanged inposition on the enclosure 148 to facilitate mounting the air venthousing 155 at a selected height on the enclosure 148, as needed.Accordingly, the pellet furnace heating apparatus 145 is particularlysuitable for heating the interior of poultry houses in cold weather,since the pellet furnace heating apparatus 145 can be moved from onelocation to another in the poultry house by extending the parallelhorizontal supports (not illustrated) of a forklift into the respectiveforklift openings 146 a in the base 146, and lifting and moving thepellet furnace heating apparatus 145 using the forklift. Moreover, theair vent housing 155 can be initially mounted at the lowermost positionon the enclosure 148 when the poultry (not illustrated) are small, andgradually and progressively mounted in the higher positions on theenclosure 148 in the manner heretofore described as the poultry growlarger in size.

[0069] It will be appreciated from a consideration of the variousembodiments of the pellet furnace heating apparatus of this inventionthat the pellet furnace heating apparatus can be utilized in a varietyof ways for many different applications involving heating. Accordingly,while the pellet furnace heating apparatus 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 isa typical application for homes, offices and other structures, theapplication can be varied in such aspects as whether or not heated airis to be vented directly into the room in which the apparatus is locatedor into ductwork which extends throughout the structure. Furthermore,the pellet furnace heating apparatus can be constructed in varioussizes, depending upon the size of the room or area to be heated and thenumber of people to be warmed. Additionally, the portable embodiments ofthe pellet furnace heating apparatus can be moved to any desiredlocation and can be built to any desired size for the same purpose.

[0070] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have beendescribed above, it will be recognized and understood that variousmodifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims areintended to cover all such modifications which may fall within thespirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention with the particularity set forth above,what is claimed is:
 1. A pellet furnace heating apparatus for burning asolid fuel, said pellet furnace heating apparatus comprising: anenclosure; a furnace provided in said enclosure; a furnace air blowerprovided in air communication with said furnace; a hopper for containingthe solid fuel; and a fuel delivery mechanism connecting said hopper andsaid furnace for delivering the solid fuel to said furnace.
 2. Thepellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fuel deliverymechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper; an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidfurnace for dropping the solid fuel from said auger feed tube into saidfurnace.
 3. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 1 comprisingat least one hot air circulation blower provided in air communicationwith said enclosure for circulating air in said enclosure.
 4. The pelletfurnace heating apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fuel deliverymechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper; an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidfurnace for dropping the solid fuel from said auger feed tube into saidfurnace.
 5. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 1 comprisingat least one grille opening provided in said enclosure and at least onegrille covering said at least one grille opening, respectively.
 6. Thepellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 5 wherein said fuel deliverymechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper; an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidfurnace for dropping the solid fuel from said auger feed tube into saidfurnace.
 7. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 5 comprisingat least one hot air circulation blower provided in air communicationwith said enclosure for circulating air in said enclosure.
 8. The pelletfurnace heating apparatus of claim 7 wherein said fuel deliverymechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper; an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidfurnace for dropping the solid fuel from said auger feed tube into saidfurnace.
 9. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 3 comprising aplurality of baffles provided between said furnace and said enclosurefor facilitating heat exchange in said enclosure.
 10. The pellet furnaceheating apparatus of claim 9 wherein said fuel delivery mechanismcomprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper, an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidfurnace for dropping the solid fuel from said auger feed tube into saidfurnace.
 11. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 9 comprisingat least one grille opening provided in said enclosure and at least onegrille covering said at least one grille opening, respectively.
 12. Thepellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 11 wherein said fuel deliverymechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper; an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidfurnace for dropping the solid fuel from said auger feed tube into saidfurnace.
 13. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 1 comprisinga flue pipe extending from said furnace and said enclosure and a fluepipe heat exchanger provided on said flue pipe for heating air flowingthrough said flue pipe heat exchanger.
 14. The pellet furnace heatingapparatus of claim 13 wherein said fuel delivery mechanism comprises atleast one feed auger having an auger feed tube communicating with saidhopper; an auger provided in said auger feed tube for conveying thesolid fuel from said hopper through said auger feed tube; and a feeddrop tube connecting said auger feed tube to said furnace for droppingthe solid fuel from said auger feed tube into said furnace.
 15. Thepellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 13 comprising at least onegrille opening provided in said enclosure and at least one grillecovering said at least one grille opening, respectively.
 16. The pelletfurnace heating apparatus of claim 15 wherein said fuel deliverymechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper; an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidfurnace for dropping the solid fuel from said auger feed tube into saidfurnace.
 17. A pellet furnace heating apparatus for burning a solidfuel, said pellet furnace heating apparatus comprising: an enclosure; afurnace provided in said enclosure; a furnace air blower provided in aircommunication with said furnace; a hopper for containing the solid fuel;a fuel delivery mechanism connecting said hopper and said furnace fordelivering the solid fuel to said furnace; and a door recess provided insaid enclosure and a door provided on said enclosure for closing saiddoor recess.
 18. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 17wherein said fuel delivery mechanism comprises at least one feed augerhaving an auger feed tube communicating with said hopper; an augerprovided in said auger feed tube for conveying the solid fuel from saidhopper through said auger feed tube; and a feed drop tube connectingsaid auger feed tube to said furnace for dropping the solid feed fromsaid auger feed tube into said furnace.
 19. The pellet furnace heatingapparatus of claim 17 comprising wheels provided on said enclosure fortransporting said enclosure.
 20. The pellet furnace heating apparatus ofclaim 19 wherein said fuel delivery mechanism comprises at least onefeed auger having an auger feed tube communicating with said hopper; anauger provided in said auger feed tube for conveying the solid fuel fromsaid hopper through said auger feed tube; and a feed drop tubeconnecting said auger feed tube to said furnace for dropping the solidfeed from said auger feed tube into said furnace.
 21. A pellet furnaceheating apparatus for burning a solid fuel, said pellet furnace heatingapparatus comprising: a hopper for containing the solid fuel; a burnerhaving a pilot housing and a combustion housing provided on said pilothousing; a fuel delivery mechanism connecting said hopper and saidcombustion housing of said burner for delivering the solid fuel to saidburner; and a furnace air blower provided in air communication with saidpilot housing of said burner.
 22. The pellet face heating apparatus ofclaim 21 comprising a burner housing substantially covering saidcombustion housing of said burner for conveying heat from said burner.23. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 21 comprising a baseand wherein said hopper and said burner are mounted on said base. 24.The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 23 comprising a burnerhousing substantially covering said combustion housing of said burnerfor conveying heat from said burner.
 25. The pellet furnace heatingapparatus of claim 21 wherein said fuel delivery mechanism comprises atleast one feed auger having an auger feed tube communicating with saidhopper; an auger provided in said auger feed tube for conveying thesolid fuel from said hopper through said auger feed tube; and a feeddrop tube connecting said auger feed tube to said combustion housing ofsaid burner for dropping the solid feed from said auger feed tube intosaid combustion housing.
 26. The pellet furnace heating apparatus ofclaim 25 comprising a burner housing substantially covering saidcombustion housing of said burner for conveying heat from said burner.27. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 25 comprising a baseand wherein said hopper and said burner are mounted on said base. 28.The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 27 comprising a burnerhousing substantially covering said combustion housing of said burnerfor conveying heat from said burner.
 29. The pellet furnace heatingapparatus of claim 27 comprising a pair of forklift openings provided insaid base in spaced-apart relationship to each other.
 30. The pelletfurnace heating apparatus of claim 29 comprising a burner housingsubstantially covering said combustion housing of said burner forconveying heat from said burner.
 31. The pellet furnace heatingapparatus of claim 22 comprising a flue pipe steam generator provided insaid burner housing for generating and releasing steam.
 32. The pelletfurnace heating apparatus of claim 31 wherein said fuel deliverymechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an auger feed tubecommunicating with said hopper; an auger provided in said auger feedtube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper through said augerfeed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feed tube to saidcombustion housing of said burner for dropping the solid feed from saidauger feed tube into said combustion housing.
 33. The pellet furnaceheating apparatus of claim 32 comprising a base and wherein said hopper,said burner and said burner housing are mounted on said base.
 34. Thepellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 33 comprising a pair offorklift openings provided in said base in spaced-apart relationship toeach other.
 35. A pellet furnace heating apparatus for burning a solidfuel, said pellet fine heating apparatus comprising: a hopper forcontaining the solid fuel; a burner having a pilot housing and acombustion housing provided on said pilot housing; a fuel deliverymechanism connecting said hopper and said combustion housing of saidburner for delivering the solid fuel to said combustion housing; afurnace air blower provided in air communication with said pilot housingof said burner; a burner housing substantially enclosing said combustionhousing of said burner for conveying heat from said burner; a cooker;and a hot air conduit establishing air communication between said burnerhousing and said cooker for conveying hot air from said burner housingto said cooker.
 36. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 35wherein said hot air conduit comprises a substantially horizontalsupporting segment and a hot plate provided on said supporting segment.37. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 35 wherein said fueldelivery mechanism comprises at least one feed auger having an augerfeed tube communicating with said hopper; an auger provided in saidauger feed tube for conveying the solid fuel from said hopper throughsaid auger feed tube; and a feed drop tube connecting said auger feedtube to said combustion housing of said burner for dropping the solidfeed from said auger feed tube into said combustion housing.
 38. Thepellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 37 wherein said hot airconduit comprises a substantially horizontal supporting segment and ahot plate provided on said supporting segment.
 39. The pellet furnaceheating apparatus of claim 38 comprising a base and wherein said hopperand said burner are mounted on said base.
 40. The pellet furnace heatingapparatus of claim 39 wherein said fuel delivery mechanism comprises atleast one feed auger having an auger feed tube communicating with saidhopper; an auger provided in said auger feed tube for conveying thesolid fuel from said hopper through said auger feed tube; and a feeddrop tube connecting said auger feed tube to said combustion housing ofsaid burner for dropping the solid feed from said auger feed tube intosaid combustion housing.
 41. The pellet furnace heating apparatus ofclaim 39 wherein said hot air conduit comprises a substantiallyhorizontal supporting segment and a hot plate provided on saidsupporting segment.
 42. The pellet furnace heating apparatus of claim 41wherein said fuel delivery mechanism comprises at least one feed augerhaving an auger feed tube communicating with said hopper; an augerprovided in said auger feed tube for conveying the solid fuel from saidhopper through said auger feed tube; and a feed drop tube connectingsaid auger feed tube to said combustion housing of said burner fordropping the solid feed from said auger feed tube into said combustionhousing.